Brazen Love

Chapter 1: Proposal

Six Months Later

The wipers swished to and fro without a break, but were powerless against the huge raindrops pounding the windscreen of the four-wheel drive, and Ariana was barely able to see the road ahead. The man behind the wheel was battling his way through the muddy road, but he was in a dark mood. Ariana could sense it. One look at his set jaw and pursed lips and she got unwanted goose bumps.

The radio cracked and came back after few seconds: "... Expect to lose mobile networks ..." Then came an irritating sound as the radio lost transmitter signal. "... severe storm warning continues in the southern parts of Rosedale. Due to flash flooding Austin bridge is closed. Members of the public are requested not to use ..." Again, connection was lost.

"Damn!" cursed Timon and flicked the switch off, keeping his eyes on the road.

"What will we do now?" panicked Ariana, cringing at the force of the rain hitting the windscreen.

Minutes passed before Timon answered. "We'll stay in my country guesthouse not far from here."

She nodded and kept her eyes on the road. So now Mr Rich Guy has a guesthouse too. She knew so little about him, except that he was a filthy rich playboy who needed a wife. When her friend contacted her, she had agreed. It was only for a month and came with a fat cheque attached to it. She needed money; hence, a marriage of convenience. She would play his wife for a month in public and then disappear from his life. They even lived in different apartments and continued with their separate lives. She didn't even see him unless it was absolutely required. It was purely a business deal.

Today, he needed his wife on his arm for a public appearance at a party full of business associates and, as per the contract, Ariana accompanied him. Everything had gone well, except for the weather, and now she was stuck with him for the night. There was nothing to really worry about, except for the bedroom-eyed looks that Timon had been bestowing on her lately. If only she could forget the dirty, sinful things he had murmured into her ears. Or if only her pussy would stop melting whenever he came close. She wondered why he was showing an interest in her now, just when the contract was midway to completion. It wasn't as if she was going to spread her legs for a night of fun. Ariana, unknown to Timon, was already in a relationship – a clause in her contract that she had ignored. She was happy with her boyfriend.

If the vibes from Timon meant that he wanted her, then she would have to find a way of keeping the rogue at bay. He wasn't going to have her. She didn't want to be just another one of his scores for a night. Not in this lifetime. But things would have been easier if he wasn't so damn handsome with a body to die for, or if her own treacherous body wasn't so actively controlled by sex hormones in his company.

The car swerved into a driveway and they were greeted by the outline of a mansion. So the guesthouse was literally a mansion. As Timon pulled the car into the driveway, the bright headlamps illuminated the massive porch and Victorian style front door. He slipped out into the night and Ariana followed, the howling wind and thrashing rain hitting her. On impulse, she clutched her upper arms to avoid the biting cold wind and ran for the stairs. Thank God Timon had found the house key and opened the door.

"I'll start the generator. Wait for me here," he told her and before Ariana could say anything, Timon was gone.

Standing in the doorway, she felt a tremor of fear as she looked up at the imposing, soulless mansion and rubbed her hands together, thankful to the headlights. Just as the nervousness was starting to take hold of her, Timon walked towards her.

"There's something wrong with the generator. We'll have to do with this for tonight," he grinned and waved a kerosene lantern balanced on his index finger. His charm warmed her instantly. "Let's go in," he added and grabbed her elbow, guiding her into the living room.